Apparatus for purifying milk and cream.



J. H. GURRAN. APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING MILK AND CREAM.

- APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1909. 949,295. Patented Feb.15, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

WIZTITOANEY.

J. H. CURRAN. APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING MILK AND CREAM.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 17, 1909.

PatentedFeb. 15, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H HT. I AF INVLN T OR. John 17 Curran BY f ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES.- I v 64141 4 a aw.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. CURRAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 W. E.RIDELL AND ONE-THIRD TO WM.- A. HUDSON, BOTH. OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Application filed April 17, 1909. Serial No. 430,544.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN H. CURRAN, citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Milk and Cream, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, formmg a part hereof. Y

My invention has relation to improvements in apparatus for purifyingcream and milk, and it consists in the novel features more fully setforth in the-specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figurel is a half section and half longitudinal sideelevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is an end view, with parts brokenaway; and Fig. 3is a vertical sectional' detail of the circulatingpipeson the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The object of my invention is to subject pasteurized or hot cream andmilk to the action of atmospheric air for the urpose of eliminatingtherefrom all deleterious gases, germs and noxious odors remainingtherein at the conclusion of the pasteurizmg process, thereby not onlyrestoring to the milk or cream the life and freshness which it shouldpossess for purposes of consum tion, but in the case of cream to bring te same to a condition most favorable for churnin in the manufacture ofbutter. The butter erived from cream so treated pos sesses a maximumdegree of flavor, aroma and bodyso essential to a wholesome commercialproduct. I

It is a well known fact that in the pasteurizing process, in which themilk or cream is subjected *to a heat of from 180 to 190 Fahrenheit, notall deleterious germs are destroyed, and to boil the'milk or cream isout of question. In fact, the milk or cream as it leaves the pasteurizeris not "onl flat and lifeless, but is entirely devoid of that percentageof air which is so essential to the permanent preservation of thearticle after it leaves the pasteurizer. By the subsequent treatmentwith air, all danger of fermentation and germination is fprevented, andthe milk or cream may keep resh for a considerable period, under properconditions. While the pasteurizing process destroys some germs, thepresence of these dead germs and the fermentation ases resultlngtherefrom, and the undesira le odors to which such germs and others notdestroyed give rise, must be ot rid of to insure a product which iswiolesome, and in the case of cream, from which the-highest quality ofbutter may be roduced. To these ends I have constructe an apparatusthrough which may be carried on a process by virtue of which new lifemay be injected.

steam=pipe b as shown. Leading frdm the pasteurizer is a discharge ipe dwhich dis-- charges the pasteurized mi k at substantially thetemperature of pasteurization above referred to.

The features just described are well known in the art, and no detaileddescription of the pasteurizer is necessary as it forms no part of thepresent invention. 7

The milk discharged from the piped is received into an elon ated troughor container 1, provided wit bottom perforations. 0 throu h which themilk is constantly esca ing. T e trough 1 is supported between t estandards 2, 2, between which and lmmediately beneath the trough, but,to one side of -the perforations o are disposed a series of superposedbrine circulating pipes 3, 3, the ends of the pipes terminating inheaders 4, 4, a partition wall or diaphragm 5 being located across theheader between each pair of ipes, so that the circulation of the brinesha 1 be continuous back and forth through the series. The brine whichenters at about- 18 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit is introduced through asupply pipe 6 leading into the header opposite the top pipe of theseries, and the brine leaves the system of pipes through an outlet ordischarge pipe 7, the temperature of the outflo'wlng brine beingapproximately 40 Fahrenheit. Beneath the.

cooling pipes 3 is a catch basin or trough 8 which slopes from oppositesides toward a central discharge spout 9.

Disposed on one side of the vertical series of cooling pipes 3, is ashield 10 having as shown terminal vertical walls, and downwardly andupwardly inclined side walls, the lower edge of the shield resting onlugs 11 formed at the bottoms of the headers 4, 4, and at the bottoms ofthe spacing mem bers 12 by which the pipes 3 are spaced apart at pointsintermediate the headers. Once the shield is supported on the lugs 11,it is secured in position by the swinging latches 13, one end of whichis secured to the end wall of the shield, the free end of the latch beinpassed-over a staple 14 carried by the stan ard 2. Tapping the upperinclined wall of the shield 10 at convenient points are branch pipes orshunts 15 which lead from an air supply pipe 16, the latter beingconnected by a couplin 17 with a main 18 leading to any source 0compressed-air supply, a fan or blower'as the case may be.

Leading. from the main 18 is a branch 19 which discharges into aperforated air-g pipe 20 normally submerged below the surface of themilk 'or cream in the trough 1.

The opposite side of the vertical series of coolin pipes 3 is exposedwith the exception 0 the bottom where there is pivotally supported adeflectorvor inclined apron.21,

the same being hinged along its bottom edge between the standards 2, 2,and additionally latched to the standards 2, 2, by latches 13 andstaples 14.

The operation will now be apparent from the drawings, and the foregoingdescriptionz-As the hot milk or cream is discharged from the pasteurizerfrom the pipe '01 into the trough or container 1, it fills the trough toa level indicated by the dotted line m,the milk thence. escaping throu hthe perforations o and trickling over the ,rine cooled surfaces of theVertical series of circulating pipes 3, in this trickling themilk beingormed practically into a sheet in which form it is well exposed 'to theair currents delivered against it from the pipes 15. 'Theair currentbeing turned on a portion of it, branches off into the pi e 19, whenceit rushes into the perforate pipe 20normally-submerged below the milklevel in the container 1, the air escaping in the form of jets which arethus directed through the hot milk in the container 1. In this actionthe air not only partially cools the milk (or cream) but eXpels from themilk all foul odors, destroying injurious germs and foreign substances;and as the aerated milk leaves the container and spreads itself "into aform of a sheet over the surfaces of the pipes 3, it is not only thorou'hly cooled, but is at the same time expose to the air currents deliveredagainst it by the pipes 15; and'since these pipes terminate in flaringmouths the air sweeps across the sheet of milk as quite obvious from thedrawings. To prevent the milk sheet from being carried beyond the limitsof the discharge trough or catch-basin 8, the apron '21 is so located asto intercept any particles which might otherwise be accidentally carriedbeyond the basin. As seen in Fig. 2, the vertical wall of piping alongwhich the milk flows after it leaves the container 1 is to one side ofthe perforations 0 of the container,

The designation milk as used in the claims is of course, to beunderstood to comprehend cream as well, the apparatus andprocess beingapplicable to the purification of either. The product when finally drawnfrom the catch-basin 8 is found to be absolutely pure, fresh, allflatness having been removed therefrom; and in the case of cream, thelatter lends itself to a rapid pro- I duction of butter when churned,the air ab sorbed thereby serving to' maintain the cream at the lowtemperature so desirable in the churning operation. Not only the milkand cream, but the butter as well is highly palatable and always sweet,no germs remaining which may conduce to any character or kind offermentation or decomposition of the milk constituents.

Obviously the parts 10 and 21 may be removed at any time to affordaccess to the pipes 3.

In lieu of brine, ordinary water or other cooling medium may circulatethrough the pipes.

Such features of construction as may appear on the drawings, but towhich no reference is made are old and well known, and require nodescription in this connection.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with amilk pasteurizing apparatus, a suitable container for recelving the warmmilk from the pasteurizer,

means for subjecting the milk in the container to agitation byatmospheric air, and means for removing the milk from the containerafter the treatment aforesaid, and [means for subsequently cooling thesame.

2. In combination with a milk pasteurizer, means for receivin the milktherefrom, means for subjecting the milk to a itating currents ofatmosphericair, and coo ing devices over which the milk passes, saidcooling devices being maintained at a predetermined temperature bycontact with a suitable circulating cooling medium;

3. In combination with a milk pasteur izer, a container for receivingthe warm milk discharged from the pasteurizer, means for forcing streamsof air through the contents of the container, means for conducting themilk from the container over suitable cooling surfaces, and means fordirecting a blast of air againstthe milk while passing over said coolingsurfaces.

4. In combination with a milk pasteurizer, a container havin aperforated bottom for the rece tion and discharge of the milk,

a perforate pipe for injecting air through,

the milk in the container, suitable cooled surfaces over which the milkflows upon leaving the container, and means for de ivering lasts of aira ainst'the milk flowing over said cooled sur aces.

5. In combination with a milk asteurizer, a container havin a 1perforatebottom for the reception and isc arge ofthe milk, a perforated pipeinthecontainer "for injecting air into the milk while, in the con-.

tainer, aseries of cooled pipes over which the milk-from the containerflows in thin streams or sheets, and means for conducting currents ofair against such milk sheets.

6. In combination with a milk dpasteurizer, a container having aperforate bottom for receiving the contents of the pasteurizer, avertical wall composed of a series of cooling pipes spaced a suitabledistance apart, sald wall being disposed in a plane to one side of theperforations in the container, a shield disposed on the opposite side ofthe container, means for directin currents of air across the milkescaping rom the container and running alon the ipes, a catchbasin forthe cooled mil an a perforated pipe submerged in the milk in thecontainer, and delivering jets of air into the milk therein whilesubstantially at the temperature at which it leaves the pasteurizer.

7. A container for hot milk provided with means for forcing jets of airthrough said milk, means for conducting the milk over a suitable coolingsurface in the form of sheets, and means for directing currents of airagainst such sheets.

' In testimon whereof I affix my signature, in presence or twowitnesses.

JOHN H. GURRAN.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, Jos, A. Mronan.

